In the Spirit

Michele Marr

ADDRESS: 5052 Warner Avenue (Warner and Bolsa Chica)

TELEPHONE: (714) 846-2285

DENOMINATION: Orthodox, affiliated with Chabad

YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1984. The congregation started in Westminster at the

Hebrew Academy and later moved to meet at Meadowlark School. The property

for its present building was bought in 1994.

SERVICE TIMES: The synagogue offers the only daily minion in the West

Orange County area. Morning services are at 8 a.m. on Sunday, 6:30 a.m.

on Monday and Thursday; and at 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and

Friday. Shabbat morning services are from 9:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Evening

services, Mincha and Maarive, are at 15 minutes before sunset and they

continue for 45 minutes. Friday evening service is from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.

RABBI: Aron David Berkowitz

ASSISTANT RABBI: Yossi Berkowitz, rabbi for youth and outreach.

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD: Stefan Steinberg

SIZE OF CONGREGATION: 70 member families. The synagogue was built in

its present location to serve the entire West Orange County Jewish

community of at least 1000 families, whether they are presently members

of the synagogue or not.

MAKEUP OF CONGREGATION: A wide range of ages and households are

represented in the congregation. Most are families with children. Members

have come to Orange County from many different countries and continents

-- including Israel, Persia, Russia and Yemen and Europe -- and Judaic

cultures and traditions, both Ashkenazi and Sephardic.

CHILD CARE: Children join their parents for the early portion of the

Saturday service, then children ages kindergarten to 13 attend programs

designed just for them. The programs include basic prayer, the Torah

portion for the week and games.

TYPE OF WORSHIP: Traditional Orthodox. There is a lot of singing,

prayers sung and chanted aloud; 15-minute sermon; and the Torah reading

for the day. The services are very full of life.

TYPE OF SERMON: The sermon is associated with the Torah portion for

the week and/or tied to a current religious holiday. It presents a moral

lesson and spiritual emphasis. The message is about how to live better.

RECENT MESSAGES: Berkowitz spoke about the ancient travel of the

Jewish people in the desert as well as the all-encompassing travel of the

Jewish Diaspora throughout the world. He spoke of how many are now

returning to Israel expecting that the messianic age is imminent. They

hope to soon celebrate the coming of Moshiach (the messiah) and the

rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdosh (the Holy Temple). The congregation

observed Tisha B’Av on July 28 and 29. Tisha B’Av commemorates the

destruction of the First Holy Temple, on the 9th of Av in 586 BCE, and

Second Holy Temple, on the 9th of Av in 70 CE, in Jerusalem. Jewish

scholars have taught, “All those who participate in the mourning for the

destruction of Jerusalem will merit to rejoice in its rebuilding.”

VISITOR INFORMATION: Visitors come and go, many from out of town.

Often a member of will invite a visitor to join them for lunch, or if

they need a place to stay over Shabbat, it will be provided. There is a

time for socializing after the Saturday morning service. Information

about the synagogue is not handed out to visitors on Shabbat, but if

requested, it is sent by mail later.

OUTREACH PROGRAMS: The congregation maintains a very strong outreach

program to let as many people as possible know about the synagogue and

the opportunity it provides for them to learn more about Judaism. The

synagogue sponsors campaigns to teach about keeping Kosher and other

aspects of Orthodox Jewish life. The Huntington Beach site is one of only

a few locations selected to present the Jewish Learning Institute

curriculum. The JLI is a nationally accredited institute with curriculum

prepared by experts in adult education and traditional Jewish learning.

Recent courses were Jewish Mysticism and the Fundamentals of Jewish

thought and practice. Another course, Life Cycles, will begin the week of

October 28, with eight class meetings held once each week. The course

will be offered on Tuesday evening and in the daytime, on a day and at a

time still to be arranged. Talmud Torah Hebrew School for children ages

5-13 (kindergarten to Bar/Bat Mitzvah) will start on September 9. Hebrew

High, for students beyond Bar/Bat Mitzvah will begin on Sept. 13. Pirkei

Avot, studies of Jewish Ethics, meet each Shabbat. Men meet at 6:15 p.m.

at the synagogue. Mincha, Shalosh Suedot and Maariv follow Pirkei Avot

for men. Pirkei Avot for women meets in the home of Rebbetzin Berkowitz,

wife of Rabbi Yossi Berkowitz. The lecture is followed by schmoozing and

snacking. The synagogue has a very active sisterhood.

DESIGN: The synagogue’s present building is a combination sanctuary

and social hall. Phase two will build the actual sanctuary within the

year 2002.

MISSION STATEMENT: Sharing the Joy of Judaism. Berkowitz said, “One of

the main points we try to convey to our people is the importance of

giving our children a quality education. The trend in society is to drift

away from traditional values, the values and the beauty of Judaism. But

we have found that living and adhering to our faith and values is what

gives us a happy and fulfilling and accomplished life.”

SPECIAL EVENTS: Tonight, Thursday, August 2, is Ladies Night Out.

Rishi Greenwald will present, “Faith, Trust and Divine Providence.”

Professional dance instruction for Israeli and wedding dances will follow

her lecture. On Aug. 5, the synagogue will hold the drawing for its

annual fund-raiser raffle. Tickets are available through the synagogue

office. The five raffle prizes include: A grand prize of the winner’s

choice of either a Hawaiian vacation for two or a Pentium III laptop

computer, a second prize of a 7-inch x 10-inch Persian rug, a third prize

of the Encyclopedia Judaica on CD-ROM, a fourth prize of a Nikon auto

zoom 35mm camera and a fifth prize of an airplane sightseeing tour of

Orange County for two.

INTERESTING NOTE: The synagogue is a resource for Mezuzot and

Teffilin. It can provide them and check them. They are guaranteed to be

Kosher.